# Jan 1 - A Sad Day in Alberta



## Snakeyes (Mar 1, 2007)

January 1, 2008 marks the beginning of the province wide smoking ban in Alberta. Essentially, the only place you will be able to smoke in Alberta after Jan. 1 will be your own home or outside (and I believe it has to be a certain distance away from public businesses, basically out in the bush ) or your car.

This really chafes my arse. I can go to the bar, drink myself into the ground, get behind the wheel and take out other motorists but smoking a cigar is dangerous. Boggles the mind.

So, on New Years Eve, to show my love for this new law, I'm going to bring a box of my favorite cigars to my local pub and smoke until I pass out  Hopefully the smell lingers for a month or two. Any of my fellow Albertan CS brothers/sisters are more than welcome to join me. In fact...this has the makings of an Alberta herf...(wheels are spinning)


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## Simplified (Feb 18, 2006)

The cigars cost so much up in Canada think of all the money you will save.:hn

Sucks you are joining the club. :hn


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## DETROITPHA357 (Jul 8, 2006)

Sorry2hear that Square, u r more then welcome to drive1day and come across the water and herf with us anytime.:tu

Now its time to invest into your home smoke room.


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## sailchaser (Jun 16, 2007)

That is Simply is Just Not Right!!!


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## calgarydetail (Dec 3, 2007)

it has been like that in calgary for a while now. It sucks. 
I have started smoking more in my car (which i hate to do) since its warm. I have also found i drive less since i am driving and smoking i wont drink. At the end of the day they are loosing tax dollars. 
some conservative goverment we have


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## weetone (Oct 3, 2007)

In Edmonton we're already like that essentially. Can't smoke in any bars, hell, you can't smoke at a smoke shop.

I am optimistic, however, that in the future we'll be allowed to smoke in cigar shops, I know there are a couple guys in Edmonton fighting that one out in the courts right now.


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## calgarydetail (Dec 3, 2007)

weetone said:


> In Edmonton we're already like that essentially. Can't smoke in any bars, hell, you can't smoke at a smoke shop.
> 
> I am optimistic, however, that in the future we'll be allowed to smoke in cigar shops, I know there are a couple guys in Edmonton fighting that one out in the courts right now.


thats the same as in calgary :hn.. i know there are a few bars that are tryin to change the law.. the chances are slim but its worth a shot


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## Snakeyes (Mar 1, 2007)

weetone said:


> In Edmonton we're already like that essentially. Can't smoke in any bars, hell, you can't smoke at a smoke shop.
> 
> I am optimistic, however, that in the future we'll be allowed to smoke in cigar shops, I know there are a couple guys in Edmonton fighting that one out in the courts right now.


I know, I go to Burlingtons whenever I get to town and it's just not right that I can't sit down and enjoy one of my purchases. I mean honestly, anyone who walks in is a smoker or doesn't care and the staff are certainly smokers so what's the big deal? :sb


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## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

same type of ban, same starting day in Illinois


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## Headcrash (Sep 7, 2006)

I have 1 pub by my house that has been able to allow smoking this year but I have a feeling that place will be a ghost town come Jan 1.

And now it is too damn cold to smoke outside. Not a lot of options left!!


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## calgarydetail (Dec 3, 2007)

Headcrash said:


> I have 1 pub by my house that has been able to allow smoking this year but I have a feeling that place will be a ghost town come Jan 1.
> 
> And now it is too damn cold to smoke outside. Not a lot of options left!!


where where? i will make a drive to smoke inside :ss


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## weetone (Oct 3, 2007)

Burlingtons rocks, people still smoke in there occasionally, but I doubt they'd allow customers to do so.


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## Mtmouse (Jun 11, 2007)

We have been like that for a few years now in Ontario.


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## Snakeyes (Mar 1, 2007)

Headcrash said:


> I have 1 pub by my house that has been able to allow smoking this year but I have a feeling that place will be a ghost town come Jan 1.
> 
> And now it is too damn cold to smoke outside. Not a lot of options left!!


A friend of mine is building a bar in his garage complete with heater, music, and of course, ashtrays for cigars. I see more of this happening.

I wonder what the legislation is for private clubs? Does the Legion have to go smoke free?? If I made a smoking club that only allowed members could this work??


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## Yansee (Dec 4, 2007)

calgarydetail said:


> thats the same as in calgary :hn.. i know there are a few bars that are tryin to change the law.. the chances are slim but its worth a shot


As already mentioned... it's been like this in Ontario for a few years. Honestly, I welcome it in public places like resturants and bars. I go into a nice place to eat and I can actually smell food now, not cigarette smoke. Although, places that are dedicated to smoking should be allowed to skirt by the law. I doubt that the bars fighting in court (mentioned above) will win. When this law first started going into effect in Ontario, a bunch of local places built special additions that were for smoking only as they were told this would be acceptable. Once the law was passed in full, these smoking rooms went bye-bye and establishements that had built the special rooms were left holding the bill to a useless room.


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## Headcrash (Sep 7, 2006)

calgarydetail said:


> where where? i will make a drive to smoke inside :ss


It is the Bull and Finch located at - 2335 162 Avenue SW

link to map
http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&...114112254,7834835699513535906&li=lmd&z=14&t=m

Let me know if you are thinking of going....I live 5 min away and am always up for a mini HERF....I can bring my smoking buddy Shaun as well.


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## weetone (Oct 3, 2007)

The idea of a private club could work, perhaps if you had a separate ventilation system or something from the buildings around it. I don't really know a whole lot about the legality of smoking bans though.


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## Mtmouse (Jun 11, 2007)

weetone said:


> The idea of a private club could work, perhaps if you had a separate ventilation system or something from the buildings around it. I don't really know a whole lot about the legality of smoking bans though.


Private clubs may work, as long as there are no 'employees'. The law is constructed to protect employees from second hand smoke as well as other patrons.


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## weetone (Oct 3, 2007)

Ah, of course, that is a good point.


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## GWN (Jun 2, 2007)

Mtmouse said:


> Private clubs may work, as long as there are no 'employees'. The law is constructed to protect employees from second hand smoke as well as other patrons.


I don't think even that would fly here, considering B&Ms can't even have a smoking room anymore, which is ridiculous. Who the hell does the government think they're protecting in this instance?
Just realized that if you don't count garages, I've never smoked a cigar indoors in my life. Doesn't seem right.


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## mash (Jul 24, 2007)

Same legislation coming in BC. Private clubs are OK. How stupid is a law that says you can't smoke in a cigar store?


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## weetone (Oct 3, 2007)

I wrote this letter to the Government, through the comment section of their website...I don't know if I'll receive a response. I am also looking into getting a meeting with my MLA to discuss my issues with it.

Hello.

My name is Tyler Dawson and I am eighteen years old, and a student at the University of Alberta. For the record, I became a smoker following my eighteenth birthday. Now, also, for the record, I am a cigar smoker, not a cigarette smoker, indeed, I have no interest in standing outside in -20 degree weather to have a smoke. 

My question is about the new smoking ban. I thoroughly support it, in many ways. I support the smoking ban in bars, restaurants, malls, in fact, I support it in all locations except for one. That place is tobacco retail outlets. I speak not of 7-11, nor smoke shops in malls. What I speak of it shops that cater specifically to the cigar and pipe smoker.

In essence, what that means is that a person who enters those stores is there for one purpose: to buy tobacco products, which they will consume. Minors are denied entry. There are few (if any) cigarette sales, no "power walls" are present. 
Much of the debate over the smoking bans are concerns about waitresses, children, etc. (people who cannot avoid being exposed, perhaps, they cannot find another job) 
In a tobacco store, the owners are smokers themselves, the patrons, smokers. There are no waiters to be exposed to the effects of smoke. There are no bystanders that will be exposed to the effects of tobacco smoke.

It seems strange that one can go to a bar, leave, and drive home intoxicated posing a serious danger to other motorists, and pedestrians, and yet, a person cannot indulge in a product that (in the context of a smoke shop) provides no danger, in any way, to other citizens. 

Interestingly, the bans (already in place, and proposed) are bad for business. In a province with a conservative government in power, it would seem that the economic and capitalist freedom of its citizens are being neglected. Take, for example, pipe tobacco. There are literally hundreds of products in a store. In order for a tobacconist to make a sale to an interested customer, the customer must sample some product. In many shops in different parts of the world, the store owner will allow his customer to sample small portions before making a purchase. If the pipe smoker cannot try a particular blend (in the already confirmed "safe" atmosphere) it makes it much more difficult for him to find an enjoyable blend, and harder for the owner to make a sale. 

In essence, what I am attempting to do here is appeal to the sense of reason of the government. There is a lot of anti-smoker propaganda out there, and for a long time, smokers have dealt with it, choosing to take the "high road" if I may, as opposed to raising a fuss about it every time our toes were trampled upon. 

However, as it has come to this, our democratic freedoms are finally being restricted (by a government who has managed to do much good for Alberta in the past year) and it is time to make our voices heard. 

At only eighteen years of age, I am prepared to make my voice heard, despite being a smoker, my bigger problem here lies with the restriction of freedoms when there can be no rational justification. That is no way for a democracy to operate.

My question is, how can the Alberta government respond to the arguments above? I would ask you to please do so.

I would be open, and indeed, would invite a meeting with a MLA or politician to discuss this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to your response and further discussion regarding this issue.

Sincerely,

Tyler Dawson


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## mojoman (Sep 10, 2009)

Very well said Weetone. But I doubt you'll get a reply as this will require intelligence from a politician.


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